Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (ESV)
He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. Psalm 18:19 (NLT)
Heavenly Father, King David’s admonition to delight myself in you has always allured me, but not always for the right reasons. Who wouldn’t be willing to do almost anything to get the desires of their heart, right? So if learning to delight myself in you would be the quickest way to get what I really want… seems kind of silly, actually selfish, when I write it out.
Thank you for rescuing me from many things, Father, including the notion that you are the means to some other end. The more I understand and savor the gospel of your grace, the more you, yourself, become the delight and desire of my heart. With the Psalmist I’m leaning to say, “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26)
Take me deeper and deeper into the heart-liberating, mind-transforming, whole-being-healing good news of the gospel, Father. For I will delight myself in you to the degree I actually believe you delight yourself in me.
Indeed, you have rescued us, and will continue to rescue us, because of what you’ve done for us in Jesus. Help us to actually believe that you love us as much as you love Jesus, and that you delight in us as much as you delight in Jesus. For then, the desires of your heart will become the desires of our hearts.
Father, free us wanting (and at times, demanding) anything other or more than you—even the very godliest things at the top of our prayer lists. Thank you, thank you, thank you… for ALL the good gifts you give us, but especially the gift of yourself. You are not only our portion, but also the whole banquet. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ beautiful and sufficient name.